Bench-Bar registration for the virtual option ends TOMORROW! You can still earn up to 10 CLE credits - register today!

Members have access to HeinOnline archive collection of Philadelphia Bar Association publications. To access the archive, you must be a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

As attorneys, don’t we have an obligation to participate in our communities, and to engage with our neighbors? We have opinions, of course, but we also have responsibilities greater than ourselves. We are more than just licensed professionals trained to do a job, we are oathbound to stand up and support this great place we call home.

If you’ve never volunteered as a poll worker or election judge, or stepped forward in other ways to help with the election process in Philadelphia or the suburbs, this is the year to get involved! Our Association is partnering with the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Committee of Seventy and Troutman Pepper's Pepper Center for Public Service in an effort to recruit poll workers for all 67 counties this November.

If you’re interested in becoming a poll worker, sign up using the form below today!

Meet the candidates for the 2024 Bar Elections. The line office and Board of Governors races are uncontested. The YLD Executive Committee election is contested and members of the Young Lawyers Division will select seven candidates.

Celebrate individuals and groups making a positive impact on our community!

Achievement Award 
To be presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting on December 10, 2025
Description: The Award recognizes significant accomplishments in improving the administration of justice (preferably in Philadelphia.)
Deadline: Friday, November 7, 2025

Are you a pickleball fanatic or just interested in learning more about the game in a collegial setting? Mentorship and Professional Development Committee Co-Chair Jordan Strokovsky is organizing a Saturday pickleball outing for Bar Association members at Ballers in Fishtown.

Anyone interested in taking part should email Membership Coordinator Sam Lyons at slyons@philabar.org. Once a date is chosen, additional details will be posted on the Bar Association website.

Our Summer 2024 edition includes tributes to Steve LaCheen, a longtime editorial board member of The Philadelphia Lawyer who died in May, from previous and current board members. This issue also includes side hustles and second careers submitted by members of the Association.

A roundup of the latest activity taking place in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. 

Fall is here and with it comes the final busy stretch before the 2024 general election. It has been written by many that this year’s election will be one of the most important in recent memory, but in our current reality, *every* election is highly consequential. And as attorneys who work every day to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of our clients, we have a special role to play.

SEPTEMBER 28-30
Center for Criminal Justice

Empire Philadelphia is scheduled for September 28-30. You can volunteer for one trial or several—it is up to you. 

Empire Mock Trial is a 501 (c)(3) education nonprofit that coordinates mock trial programs for high school students. This is the first year that we are hosting a program in Philadelphia, after running competitions in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Hong Kong.

La Salle Mock Trial Association invites you to serve as a judge for the 2024 First Annual Explorer Invitational! The La Salle Mock Trial Association is thrilled to revive this event for universities and colleges. 

There will be four rounds of competition: two on Saturday, October 19th, and two on Sunday, October 20th. Each round will last approximately three hours with a brief break in between each round. Check out the tentative schedule!

We're all tied to heart disease and stroke in some way, and we must change that. Join your friends, family and co-workers to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

By registering for Lawyers Have Heart today, you are taking the first step to save lives.

Time to celebrate! On Saturday, November 9, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation will celebrate its 60th anniversary and honor four of the community’s fiercest advocates. Please join us as one city and one region, working together to help Philadelphia’s civil legal aid organizations and pro bono attorneys reach more people and expand access to justice.

By sponsoring the Philly Justice Ball, you’ll help the Philadelphia Bar Foundation raise much-needed funds to sustain unrestricted annual grants to our nonprofit partners, as well as support other initiatives that strengthen civil legal aid services. This is a major celebration and fundraising event that will direct more resources to help Philadelphians access whatever civil legal information, resources, and services they need, regardless of background, income, or zip code. For Justice Everywhere!

Learn more about the Philly Justice Ball and sponsorship opportunities below.

The HBALEF Scholarship Banquet will be held on Sept. 26 at the Downtown Club in Philadelphia. In addition to honoring our scholarship recipients, we will be also be honoring Brenda L. Marrero, Chief Operating Officer at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, as our honoree for the event. 

Purchase tickets to the banquet below.

Our Annual Partners and other benefit providers give Bar Association members access to discounts from local and national retailers, for legal and professional services and more!

DISCOUNTS INCLUDE:

• Wireless and data services discounts from Verizon, including 22% off your monthly bill for eligible members
• Travel discounts and planning services from Mondee
• Up to 35% PC computers and printers from HP
• Up to 20% off on gifts from 1-800-FLOWERS, Harry & David, and Cheryl’s Cookies
• Additional discounts on products and services, including performances at the Kimmel Cultural Campus, rental cars through Avis and Budget, and more

Decisis is a fast, reliable legal research tool powered by LexisNexis - free for Philadelphia Bar Association members - a $1788 value! Search all courts and jurisdictions (Need a case outside Pennsylvania? Find it with Decisis™.)

To access the benefit login with your member account.

Most business owners will agree that maintaining employee happiness is a key factor in working to achieve overall success in their business operations. Although there are many complexities involved in achieving this goal, creating a positive corporate work culture through the offering of unique and desirable job perks has proven successful for many companies.

Philadelphia Bar Association members can get a free 30-minute financial consultation with an experienced financial advisor backed by our team of specialists. Our Roundtable™ approach includes tax professionals, risk management, retirement income planning, and more.

Hear from an esteemed panel of Philadelphia-area General Counsel to understand the complexities facing them as general counsel in support of growth and innovation, particularly in connection with the increasing prevalence of Artificial Intelligence, end of Chevron deference, and the upcoming Presidential election. General Counsel will address these challenges facing them as legal advisors to their clients in the midst of evolving technological and societal issues that are forcing organizations to modernize operations and confront new legal and ethical questions.

Join us for the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division for a Happy Hour on Thursday, October 17th from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Network with your fellow colleagues, unwind after a long day, and enjoy great company

This event is generously hosted by Nochumson P.C.

Our Women in the Profession Committee requests your presence at an elegant Afternoon Tea. Enjoy networking with colleagues and friends over tea, traditional finger sandwiches, scones, and other treats.

Thank you to our event sponsors:

Join the Wellness Committee and colleagues from the Montgomery County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations for this year's Wellness Walk through Wissahickon Valley Park!

In partnership with the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, we are excited to host this very important and timely webinar related to the upcoming election. This program is designed to educate non-profit organizations on what activities relating to elections, such as voter registration, are permissible without risking their tax exempt status. Join us and our esteemed panel as we learn about ways to make a difference this November!